Author: kturner

Lawley is pleased to welcome new team members who will contribute to providing tailored services to our clients throughout our network. The expansion of our Medicare Insurance, Employee Benefits,  Business Insurance, Personal Insurance, and Risk Management divisions strengthens our ability to deliver dedicated service at more than 15 locations.

Please join us in welcoming our newest additions to our team.

Adrian Tarkington, Business Insurance Assistant Account Manager | Serves the business insurance department by creating summaries, certificates, policies & proposals, and completing coverage reviews. Adrian holds a Property & Casualty license and earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University.

Andrew Edbauer, Employee Benefits Consultant | Andrew prepares and executes strategic business plans, secures RFPs, participates in team sales, and actively prospects, solicits, and consults on new benefit insurance accounts. He earned a master’s degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a bachelor’s degree from Canisius University.

Anto Almasian, Surety Executive | With 10+ years of experience, Anto develops strategies and tailored solutions to help clients qualify for bonding and increase capacity. He is an Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI) and holds a NYS Life, Accident, & Health license, a Property & Casualty license, and an Excess & Surplus license.

Bailey Eastman, Business Insurance Marketer | Bringing 10+ years of experience, Bailey negotiates pricing and coverage options, reviews quotes, prepares summaries, and manages the placement of new business and renewals for middle market clients.

Betsy Orton, Business Insurance Assistant Account Manager | Manages renewal processes, handles non-renewals and cancellations, and validates audits. Betsy holds a Life, Accident, & Health License and a Property & Casualty License.

Emily Marks, Specialty Insurance Assistant Account Manager | With 15+ years of experience, Emily produces summaries, certificates, policies, and proposals within designated timelines while identifying cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. She holds a NYS Property & Casualty license.

Evonne Pomerantz, Medicare & Individual Health Insurance Consultant | Bringing 10+ years of experience, Evonne supports Medicare insurance beneficiaries and employers through challenges such as annual renewals, Medicare insurance open enrollment, and compliance requirements. She holds a NYS Life, Accident, & Health License and earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Empire State College.

Flavio Vega, Receptionist/Personal Insurance Support | Provides administrative support by scanning and downloading insurance information, routing faxes, processing incoming and outgoing mail, and maintaining smooth communication with customers, carriers, and employees. He holds a bachelor’s in science degree.

Gabby Mares, Business Insurance Assistant Account Manager | Supports the business insurance department by managing renewal processes, validating audits, and identifying cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. Gabby holds a Property & Casualty license.

James Walleshauser, Employee Benefits Client Service Specialist | James manages a book of business, conducts plan analysis and proposal preparation, processes enrollment applications, and oversees renewal packages. He earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University.

Jennifer Fariello, Personal Insurance Account Manager | With 20+ years of experience, Jenn manages an assigned book of business, handling renewals, endorsements, and insurance documents while delivering exceptional customer service. She is a Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) and holds a Property & Casualty license in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

Jennifer Wier, Business Insurance Account Manager | Jennifer brings 20+ years of experience and supports the Real Estate team by overseeing renewals, preparing summaries, and coordinating the issuance of binders, certificates, policies, and proposals. She holds a NYS Property & Casualty license.

Jessica Feyes, Benefits HR Administrator | Leads new-hire benefit orientations, assists with leave administration, and ensures accurate reporting for enrollment and compliance. Jessica holds a Corporate Recruiting Professional certification from the American Staffing Association and a DiSC certification.

Jolene Jarvis, Business Insurance Assistant Account Manager | With 10+ years of experience, Jolene completes coverage reviews, manages renewal processes, and produces summaries, certificates, policies, and proposals within designated timelines. She holds a Property & Casualty license.

Jon Sayers, IT Support Specialist | Jon provides technical support by coordinating user computer applications, reviewing tickets, and communicating IT workflows to ensure smooth operations and effective solutions.

Kevin Campbell, Insurance Advisor | Bringing 10+ years of experience, Kevin identifies the unique risks of each client, builds custom coverage plans tailored to their goals, and simplifies the insurance process to ensure clarity and transparency. He holds a Property & Casualty license and earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.

Lori Waite, Business Insurance Account Technician | Lori has 20+ years of experience and supports the business department by underwriting products, processing financial documents, and identifing coverage gabs. She holds a Property & Casualty license.

Noel Allesi, Business Insurance Project Coordinator | Assists the business department with a wide range of initiatives, including administrative functions, quality control audits, lost business reporting, and preparing executive summaries. Noel earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia.

Rebecca Rutzen, Business Insurance Account Technician | With 15+ years of experience, Rebecca underwrites products, processes financial documents, and maintains data accuracy. She is a certified Associate in Insurance (AINS).

 

Looking to take your successful career to the next level? As a family-owned company, we provide the support, care, and resources for you to take your career to new heights.
View our open careers page here or contact us today to learn more.

The commercial property insurance segment has been grappling with limited underwriting profitability and hardening conditions for much of the past decade, mainly due to surging catastrophe (CAT) losses, inflation issues and property valuation challenges. As such, ongoing premium jumps and restrictive coverage terms have become the norm for most policyholders.

Rate Trends: flat-10%

What to Expect for the Remainder of 2025

• Ongoing rate moderation
• Greater flexibility for shared and layered programs
• Emphasis on weather preparedness and property value reporting

Shifting market dynamics helped ease pricing trends throughout 2024, with average premium
jumps falling to 6% by the fourth quarter. Several factors have allowed this moderation
to continue in 2025, including more favorable underwriting results, bolstered reinsurance capacity, reduced inflationary pressures on property values and increased competition among insurers for desirable accounts. As such, industry experts reported that average rate hikes are
currently sitting just below 3%. Nevertheless, premium costs and coverage availability may vary significantly between policyholders based on the occupancy of their properties and the
severity of CAT exposures in their particular regions.

Although the commercial property insurance market has been stabilizing in recent months, rising natural disaster frequency and severity are continuing to cause extensive property damage and drive up related CAT losses.

Secondary perils—namely, wildfires and severe convective storms—have caused the most destruction so far in 2025. For nearly all of January, the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire wreaked havoc on Southern California, burning over 15,000 structures. In May, a series of strong tornadoes and hailstorms damaged approximately 63,000 properties across the Ohio River Valley and Midwest regions. Altogether, reinsurance brokers expect insured losses from these events to surpass $50 billion. What’s worse, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects an above-average Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 19 named storms and five major hurricanes this year.

By the end of 2025, industry experts anticipate global insured losses from natural disasters will reach $145 billion.

With this in mind, it’s evident that even a single disaster could rapidly alter market conditions. This means that all policyholders, especially those with elevated CAT exposures and increased susceptibility to secondary perils, will likely face continued scrutiny from insurers regarding their weather preparedness strategies.

As the commercial property insurance market continues to shift, a growing number of policyholders have explored alternative risk financing. There are several options available, including captives, parametric coverage and structured fronting. Captives are insurance companies formed by parent companies to insure their own risks rather than relying on third-party insurers. Under parametric coverage, the amount a policyholder is compensated isn’t decided by the exact cost of damage sustained but by the calculated intensity of the predefined event responsible for the damage, such as average wind speeds during a Category 3 hurricane. Structured fronting is an arrangement in which a licensed insurer writes a policy, but all or most of the risk is passed on to another party (e.g., a captive or reinsurer). By leveraging these options, policyholders can secure more customized coverage solutions and possible cost savings.

Looking Ahead

Moderate conditions are expected to persist in the commercial property insurance segment for the remainder of 2025, paving the way for ongoing rate stabilization, solid reinsurance treaty renewals, expanded capacity and greater flexibility from insurers, especially regarding shared and layered programs. Market conditions will be most favorable for policyholders with fewer CAT exposures and a limited history of previous large-scale claims. On the other hand, insurers will con-tinue to deploy more stringent underwriting standards for high-risk and loss-challenged accounts. Given the particularly volatile nature of this segment, policyholders should be prepared for a sudden market reversal and, in turn, potential changes in premium pricing and coverage availability following major natural disasters.

At Lawley, we understand what it means to protect businesses in the real estate industry. We have a dedicated real estate team who understands specific risks and will work will you to help you protect what you’ve worked so hard to build.  To learn more, visit our real estate page or call us at 716.849.8618.

This article is not intended to be exhaustive, nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice. ©2025 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lawley advances from #53 to #48 on Business Insurance’s 2024 Largest Brokers in the U.S. List

Buffalo, NY, (July 29th, 2025) | Lawley, a family-owned, independent insurance brokerage, employee benefits, and wealth management firm, has once again been recognized on a national scale, this time climbing from #53 to #48 on Business Insurance’s list of the Top 100 Largest Insurance Brokers in the United States for 2024.

This achievement reflects a 7.18% increase in brokerage revenue from U.S.-based clients between 2023 and 2024, marking not just a milestone in growth, but a testament to the trust of clients, the strength of our carrier and client partnerships, and the hard work and dedication of our talented team. Being named among the top 50 insurance brokers in the country underscores Lawley’s continued focus on delivering exceptional service, tailored risk management strategies, innovative employee benefits solutions and wealth management for organizations of all sizes.

This advancement is more than just a number on a list; it reaffirms Lawley’s long-standing mission to be the partner of choice for businesses, individuals, and insurance carriers seeking a long-term relationship built on a foundation of trust.

As a privately held and independently operated firm, Lawley takes pride in delivering personalized, hands-on service, while continuing to grow and expand our offerings to meet the evolving needs of our clients.

As we celebrate this national recognition, we remain focused on the future with plans to continue investing in resources, technology, and talent that enable us to serve our clients with excellence. Whether it’s navigating an ever-changing insurance landscape, helping employers design comprehensive benefits plans, or advising on risk mitigation strategies, Lawley is committed to helping our clients minimize risk.

“We are incredibly grateful to our clients, teammates, and industry partners for making this recognition possible. Together, we look forward to building on this momentum and achieving even greater success in the years to come”, says Chris Ross, Principal.

“As we approach our 70th anniversary, we reflect on nearly seven decades of service, innovation, and partnership with deep gratitude. Since our founding, we’ve believed that true success is not measured solely by financial performance, but by the positive impact we have on the communities in which we serve. That belief continues to drive our commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement”, says Bill Lawley Jr., Principal.

“We continue to work hard to offer personalized customer service and insurance options that fit our clients’ specific needs. We take pride in being an independent broker and are honored to achieve Top 50”, stated Mike Lawley, Principal.

ABOUT BUSINESS INSURANCE

Business Insurance, a division of Beacon Intercontinental Group, Inc., is a trusted resource for executives focused on risk management, insurance trends, and strategic solutions. Since 1967, it has delivered expert analysis, market insights, and practical tools for navigating a changing risk landscape. Learn more about Business Insurance here.

In addition to keeping out the weather, your roof plays a major role in preserving your home’s energy efficiency, long-term value, and, more importantly, your homeowners’ insurance coverage.

Read the tips below to discover how to protect this crucial structure in your home.

5 Tips to Maintain Your Roof

1.Schedule Regular Roof Inspections

Get a professional roof inspection at least once a year or after any major weather event. Inspections help catch small issues like missing shingles or deteriorated flashing before they become major leaks or structural damage.

2. Keep Detailed Records

Create a roof file with inspection reports, repair invoices, warranty documents, and dated photos. These records not only track roof health, but they can help support if a claim needs to be reported

3. Respond Quickly to Damage

It is important not to delay if you spot water stains on ceilings or notice shingles on the ground. While temporary fixes like tarping can help reduce further damage and protect your claim, leaks should be addressed within 48 hours when possible.

4.Maintain Gutters and Drainage

Clogged gutters can cause water to back up under your shingles or seep into the foundation. Cleaning gutters regularly can ensure downspouts direct water at least five feet away from your home.

5.Be Selective with Contractors

If your roof needs repairs or replacement, work with licensed, insured professionals and avoid “storm chasers” those offering quick fixes after major weather events.

 

For a personal review of your policies and for more ways to reduce your insurance costs, reach out out to our personal insurance team today.

This article was shared with us by our friends at Central Insurance Companies.

Lawley welcomes Anto Almasian as a Surety Executive, Andrew Edbauer as an Employee Benefits Consultant, Kevin Campbell as an Insurance Advisor, and Evonne Pomerantz as a Medicare and Individual Health Insurance Consultant.

Lawley, an independent family-owned insurance brokerage and employee benefits firm, continues its strategic growth by welcoming several professionals across the agency. Anto Almasian, Surety Executive, and Andrew Edbauer, Employee Benefits Consultant, join Buffalo, NY, while Kevin Campbell, Insurance Advisor, joins in Darien, CT, and Evonne Pomerantz, Medicare and Individual Health Insurance Consultant, joins in Rochester, NY.

With extensive experience in risk management and surety services, particularly within the construction industry, Almasian brings expertise in managing a diverse portfolio of clients, and a deep understanding of risk evaluation, operational strategy, and client management. Working alongside Lawley’s Director of Surety, Almasian will serve as a trusted resource for Lawley’s bond clientele, guiding marketing, complex bond cases, and specialized bond forms and obligations. His expertise will play a key role in enhancing Lawley’s bond programs and supporting the firm’s continued growth in the surety space.

Almasian is an Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI), earned a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, and holds several licenses including a NYS Life, Accident, & Health license, a Property & Casualty license, and an Excess & Surplus license.

Edbauer also joins Buffalo as an Employee Benefits Consultant. As an active member of the Buffalo Fire Department and the U.S. Army National Guard, his unique combination of leadership and medical expertise equips him with the ability to understand options and work with clients to provide the best employee benefit solutions to fit their needs.

As a 1st Lieutenant, Edbauer was a pilot and platoon leader of over 30 personnel. He served as Battle Captain during Operation Inherent Resolve, where he coordinated thousands of flight hours, managed key operations, and worked directly with the Department of Defense and communicated with multiple nations. His experience navigating complex logistics and communication equips him to help clients find the right benefits solutions.

Edbauer is a member of the Buffalo Fire Fighters Local 282 organization. He earned a master’s degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a bachelor’s degree from Canisius University. He further supports the Western New York Community through various fundraising events benefiting Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

 

Expanding the agency’s footprint in Connecticut, Campbell specializes in commercial contractor, real estate and trade insurance, and all lines of personal insurance including home, auto, flood, boat, and watercraft. As an Insurance Advisor, he will identify the unique risks of each client and provide personalized strategies to manage risk and protect their assets effectively.

Bringing extensive experience in sales and account management, primarily serving the construction and real estate sectors, Campbell has expertise in delivering tailored technology solutions that drive efficiency, reduce risk, and support long-term growth. This background deepens his understanding of operational risk, industry-specific challenges, and client management.

Campbell is a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Connecticut and Associated General Contractors of Connecticut organizations. He holds a Property & Casualty license and earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.

As the first full-time Medicare and Individual Health Insurance Consultant located in the Rochester area, Pomerantz joins the Lawley Medicare Solutions team and brings over a decade of experience in state and federal health programs.

With a wealth of knowledge and a passion for helping others, she simplifies the complexities of health insurance for Medicare insurance-eligible individuals and employers as they face many challenges and options, including annual renewals, compliance requirements, and more.

Pomerantz holds a NYS Life, Accident, & Health License and earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Empire State College. She sits on the Financial & Fundraising Committee for Family Promise of Wayne County, NY, Inc., has supported Celiac Strong Camp, Inc. for over ten years, and volunteers at Laurel House Comfort Care Home, providing compassionate end-of-life care. Pomerantz’s deep ties to the community through volunteer work and advocacy demonstrate Lawley’s culture of community engagement and personal service.

“Each of these individuals brings a powerful combination of professional experience and personal dedication to service. Their unique skills and backgrounds not only support our clients’ evolving needs, but also exemplify the values that make Lawley a trusted advisor and growing force in the insurance industry,” says Mike Lawley, Principal of Lawley.

“Bringing on Anto, Kevin, Andrew, and Evonne enables us to continue to grow our Surety, Employee Benefits, Medicare Insurance, and Business Insurance divisions. We’re excited for them to join our team and look forward to their impact across our footprint,” says Chris Ross, Principal of Lawley.

Congratulations Kim!

We are proud to share that Kim Navagh, Director of People Strategy and Recruitment, has once again ranked on the Buffalo Business First  Power 200 Women List.

Kim became Lawley’s first recruiter in 2013 and is skilled in human resource management. She oversees all areas of recruitment, compliance, learning and development, and performance management.

Kim brings 20+ years of expertise and is a member of the Western New York National Human Resource Association, the Buffalo Niagara Human Resource Association, and the Society for Human Resource Management.

We are so grateful for Kim’s expertise for over 10+ years with the agency.

The full list of the 2025 BBF Power 200 Women can be found here.